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tv   State of the Union  ABC  January 24, 2012 9:00pm-10:30pm EST

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this is an abc news special, the state of the union. and tonight, the big question americans want answered. what will he do to bring america back? >> if you fight with me, i promise you, change will come. >> but these men want a different kind of change. >> i think people recognize that our president has failed us. >> this is a president that's tried to choke off american free enterprise. >> the president is creating all these problems. >> the radicals have been in charge way too long. >> now, tonight, before a joint session of congress, and the american people, it's the president's turn. what is his vision for our future? >> there is nothing wrong with this country that we can't fix. let's prove, that the best days
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of america are still ahead of us. >> and can he rally our country and our government in the middle of an election year? >> it's time to put country ahead of party. >> live, from abc news, the state of the union, and the republican response. now, reporting from our nation's capital, diane sawyer and george stephanopoulos. >> good evening to all of you. diane sawyer, here with george stephanopoulos. on this always majestic night for a democracy. it is ordained by the constitution that we come together, republicans and democrats, to think about where we have been, where we are headed and hear the president speak. and tonight, george, he is doing it. 9 months, 13 days, before the next election. >> the president called this speech his blueprint for fixing this economy. but also his road map for this campaign. and the single, most important thing that the president will do tonight, is make americans more optimistic about where we are. to convince us, that even though times are tough, the country is
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moving in the right direction. and right now, two out of three americans don't believe that. that's why the president calls himself an underdog in this campaign. >> let's head into the chamber right now. they are waiting. look. that is congresswoman gabrielle giffords. when she walked into this hall tonight, it was a stunning moment. she clearly moved. her husband, mark kelly, commander, mark kelly, up sitting here mrs. obama. also, it seemed like there were tears standing in his eyes. >> the entire chamber surrounded her. >> and she is going to be sitting, tonight, with a democrat and a republican from the arizona delegation. and also, her good friend, debbie wasserman schultz. you saw there. we saw filing into the chamber, seven members of the joint chiefs, the senate has walked over in unison, which is one of
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the most moving things, to me, george. >> that is the president's cabinet coming in right now. you see the u.n. ambassador. also, the president's trade representative. and there's gabby giffords one more time, moved by the reception he got. >> we also have mrs. obama coming into the chamber. we can show you, of course, the secretary of state hillary clinton. and there's mrs. obama, as she arrives tonight. and once again, we are looking, live, and awaiting the president. this is his sixth speech to a joint session. he's familiar with what happens in this room. do we have time, now, to go to jon karl, quickly? he's there, some place up in those chairs, right up at the top. tell us what it was like, jon, when gabby giffords walked in that room. >> jimmy: dia one of the most
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remarkable moments. at first, when she walked in, not everybody had noticed she had come in the chamber. she wasn't announced. there was a smattering of applause that grew and grew, going up into the visitor rs' gallery. just an incredibly emotional moment. and this is a deeply divided chamber. this congress is as divided as we've ever seen it. but in that moment, there was no division in this chamber. just an incredibly emotional moment. >> they will come together tomorrow, of course, when she does officially retire from the congress. the entire chamber will come together again and praise her and pass a bill in her name, to crack down in drug smuggling, across the mexican border. that will happen tomorrow. tonight, the president will greet her, as well. >> it's hard not to look back a year ago. when they sat together, republicans and democrats.
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>> that has made this the least popular congress in american history. approval rating is somewhere between 8% and 12%. the president is well aware of that. when he lays out his agenda tonight, he knows most of it will not pass. but it's also a way for him to say this is where i want the country to go and to challenge them. >> this is paul irving, the sergeant at arms, the new one. >> mr. speaker, the president of the united states. [ applause ] >> there's members of congress, right there on the aisle. they got there very early to make sure they have -- >> that is true. this time, they couldn't put a marker on the chair. they couldn't put a sign on the chair. they had to show up after 5:30
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and sit there and wait to be right on the aisle and have their chance to say hello to the president. we were saying earlier, that congress, george, has 13% approval rating right now. the president has seen something happen in our polling recently. 64% favorability rating. >> personal favorability. >> likability, favorability. >> and the president hit his lows at 42%, a couple months ago. he's been climbing steadily. inching over the last couple of months. but he's still in the danger zone. under 50%, going into this final year. he is right on the edge, between. >> can we go back to jon karl? i'd like to know what he's hearing in the room right now.
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jon? >> i'm watching the members on the aisle, diane. there was a rule. they were not supposed to save their seats until 5:30. i saw we had people here as early as 8:15 this morning, staking out seats on the aisle, just so they could be there on national television, shaking hands with the president on national television. not just democrats, but republicans. wanted to be there shaking his hands for tens of millions of people. and one thing to point out, diane, as he moves up the aisle, and ultimately, the last person he will shake hands with, is speaker of the house john boehner. speaker of the house boehner told us this morning, he has not spoken to the president in over a month. as deeply divided as the congress is, it's quite a commentary that the speaker of the house has not even had any words shared with the president in over a month.
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>> we're joined by the former speech writer of president reagan. now, writes for -- we're seeing a very usual ritual for the president. >> it happens once a year. it is constitutionally mandated. i have the feeling when i see the speech, that it is an anchor of history. you know, all of the tradition. we've got the general, the members of the cabinet. the members of the president's administration. both houses of congress. there's a sense that you see that even when things were rocky sometimes, things continue. >> and we have members of the security, now, who are greeting the president. we don't have a full supreme court there tonight. we have four members who are not there. >> you see justice kagan, justice breyer, justice
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ginsberg. justices scalia, alito and sotomayor are not there tonight. >> the joint chiefs will be showing up. they will not be applauding tonight. we will measure between those who applaud and those who do not feel they are part of the political process. >> and many of the justices have spoken about how uncomfortable they do feel. especially that moment two years ago, when the president called them out on the supreme court decision. and there you have it. [ applause ]
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>> a hug from gabby giffords, representing so much, just standing in that room. and when she smiles. and now, the president of the united states. handing his speech to the speaker and the vice president. and is about to begin his state of the union address. [ applause ] >> members of congress, i have the high privilege and the distinct honor of presenting to
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you, the president of the united states. [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you. thank you. thank you so much. [ applause ] thank you. please, be seated. mr. speaker, mr. vice president, members of congress, distinguished guests, and fellow americans, last month, i went to andrews air force base and welcomed home some of our last troops to serve in iraq. together, we offered a final, proud salute to the colors under which more than 1 million of our
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fellow citizens fought. and several thousand gave their lives. we gather, tonight, knowing that this generation of heroes has made the united states safer and more respected around the world. [ applause ] [ applause ] for the first time in nine years, there are no americans fighting in iraq. [ applause ] for the first time in two decades, osama bin laden is not a threat to this country. [ cheers and applause ]
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most of al qaeda's top lieutenants have been defeated. the taliban's momentum has been broken. and some troops in afghanistan have begun to come home. these achievements are a testament to the courage, selflessness, and teamwork of america's armed forces. at a time when too many of our institutions have let us down, they exceed all expectations. they're not consumed with personal ambition. they don't obsess over their differences. they focus on the mission at hand. they work together.
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imagine what we could accomplish if we followed their example. [ applause ] think about the america within our reach. a country that leads the world in educating its people. an america that attracts a new generation of high-tech manufacturing and high-paying jobs. a future where we're in control of our own energy. and our security and prosperity aren't so tied to unstable parts of the world. an economy built to last. where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded. we can do this. i know we can because we've done it before. at the end of world war ii, when another generation of heroes returned home from combat, they built the strongest economy and middle-class the world has ever
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known. [ applause ] my grandfather, a veteran of patton's army, got a chance to go to college on the g.i. bill. my grandmother, who worked on a bomber assembly line, was part of a workforce that turned out the best products on earth. the two of them shared the optism of a nation that had triumphed over a depression and fascism. they understood they were part of something larger. they were contributing to a story of success that every american had a chance to share. the basic american promise that if you worked hard, you could do well enough to raise a family, own a home, send your kids to college and put a little away for retirement. the defining issue of our time
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is how to keep that promise alive. no challenge is more urgent. no debate is more important. we can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of americans barely get by. or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot and everyone does their fair share and everyone plays by the same set of rules. [ cheers and applause ] what's at stake aren't democratic values or republican values. but american values. and we have to reclaim them. let's remember how we got here.
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long before the recession, jobs and manufacturing began leaving our shores. technology made businesses more efficient. but also made some jobs obsolete. folks at the top saw their incomes rise like never before. but most hard-working americans struggled with costs that were growing, paychecks that weren't, and personal debt that kept piling up. in 2008, the house of cards collapsed. we learned that mortgages had been sold to people who couldn't afford or understand them. banks had made huge bets and bonuses with other people's money. regulators have looked the other way. or didn't have the authority to stop the bad behavior. it was wrong. it was irresponsible. and it plunged our economy into a crisis that put millions out of work, saddled us with more
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debt and left innocent, hard-working americans holding the bag. in the six months before i took office, we lost nearly 4 million jobs. and we lost another 4 million before our policies were in full effect. those are the facts. but so are these -- in the last 22 months, businesses have created more than 3 million jobs. [ applause ] last year, they created the most jobs since 2005. american manufacturers are hiring again, creating jobs for the first time since the late 1990s.
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together, we've agreed to cut the deficit by more than $2 trillion. and we put in place new rules to hold wall street accountable so crisis like this never happens again. [ applause ] the state of our union is getting stronger. and we've come too far to turn back now. as long as i'm president, i will work with anyone in this chamber to build on this momentum. but i intend to fight obstruction with action. and i will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place. [ cheers and applause ]
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no, we will not go back to an economy weakened by outsourcing, bad debt and phony financial promise. tonight, i want to speak about how we move forward and lay out a blueprint for an economy that's built to last. an economy built on american manufacturing, american energy, skills for american workers and a renewal of american values. this blueprint begins with american manufacturing. on the day i took office, our auto industry was on the verge of collapse. some even said we should let it die. with 1 million jobs at stake, i refused to let that happen. in exchange for help, we demanded responsibility. we had workers and automakers to settle their differences. we got the industry to retool and restructure.
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today, general motors is back on top as the world's number one automaker. [ cheers and applause ] chrysler has grown faster in the u.s. than any major car company. ford is investing billions in u.s. plants and factories. and together, the entire industry added nearly 160,000 jobs. we bet on american workers. we bet on american ingenuity. and tonight, the american auto industry is back. [ applause ] what's happening in detroit can
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happen in other industries. it can happen in cleveland and pittsburgh and raleigh. we can't bring every job back that's left our shore. but right now, it's getting more expensive to do business in places like china. meanwhile, america is more productive. a few weeks ago, the ceo of master line told me it makes business sense for him to bring jobs back home. [ applause ] today, for the first time in 15 years, master lock's unionized plant in milwaukee is running at full capacity. [ applause ] so, we have a huge opportunity at this moment, to bring manufacturing back. but we have to seize it.
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tonight, my message to business leaders is simple. ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed. [ applause ] we can start with our tax code. right now, companies get tax breaks for moving jobs and profits overseas. meanwhile, companies that choose to stay in america get hit with one of the highest tax rates in the world. it makes no sense. and everyone knows it. so, let's change it. first, if you're a business that wants to outsource jobs, you shouldn't get a tax deduction for doing it. [ applause ] that money should be used to
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cover moving expenses for companies like master lock that decide to bring jobs home. [ applause ] second, no american company should be able to avoid paying its fair share of taxes by moving jobs and profits overseas. [ applause ] from now on, every multinational company should have to pay a basic minimum tax. and every penny should go towards lowering taxing for companies who choose to stay here and hire here in america. [ applause ] third, if you're an american manufacturer, you should get a bigger tax cut. if you're a high-tech manufacturer, we should double the tax deduction you get for
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making your products here. if you want to relocate in a community that was hit hard when a factory left town, you should get help financing a new plant, equipment, or training for new workers. so, my message -- [ applause ] my message is simple. it is time to stop rewarding businesses that ship jobs overseas and start rewarding companies that create jobs right here in america. send me these tax reforms. and i will sign them right away. [ cheers and applause ] we're also making it easier for american businesses to sell products all over the world. two years ago, i set a goal of doubling u.s. exports over five years. with a bipartisan trade agreements we signed into law, we're on track to meet that goal ahead of schedule.
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[ applause ] soon, there will be millions of new customers for american goods in panama, colombia, and south korea. soon, there will be new cars on the streets of seoul, imported from detroit, and toledo, and chicago. [ applause ] i will go anywhere in the world to open new markets for american products. and i will not stand by when our competitors don't play it by the rules. we brought trade cases against china at nearly twice the rate as the last administration. and it's made a difference. [ applause ] over 1,000 americans are working today because we stopped the surge in chinese tires. but we need to do more. it's not right when another country lets our movies, music
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and software be pirated. it's not fair when morn manufacturers have a leg up on ours, only because they're heavily subsidized. tonight, i'm announcing the a trade enforcement unit, that will be charged for investigating unfair trade practices in countries like china. there will be more inspections -- [ applause ] there will be more inspections to prevent counterfeit or unsafe goods from crossing our borders. and no foreign company should have an advantage over american manufacturing when it comes to financing or new markets like russia. our workers are the most productive on earth. and if the playing field is level, i promise you, america will always win. [ cheers and applause ]
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i also hear from many business leaders who want to hire in the united states, but can't find workers with the right skills. growing industries in science and technology have twice as many openings as we have workers who can do the job. think about that. openings at a time when millions of americans are looking for work. it's inexcusable. and we know how to fix it. jackie bray is a single mom from north carolina, who was laid off from her job as a mechanic. then, siemens formed a partnership with central piedmont community college. the company helped the college design courses in laser and robotics training. it paid jackie's tuition, and then hired her to help operate their plant. i want every american looking for work to have the same
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opportunity as jackie did. join me in a national commitment to train 2 million americans with skills that will lead directly to a job. [ applause ] my administration has already lined up more companies that want to help. model partnership between businesses like siemens and community colleges in places like charlotte, orlando, louisville, are up and running. now, you need to give more community colleges the resources they need to become community career centers. places that teach people skills that businesses are looking for right now. from data management, to high-tech manufacturing. and i want to cut through the maze of confusing training programs. so that from now on, people like
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jackie have one program, one website, and one place to go for all the information and help that they need. it's time to turn our unemployment system into a re-employment system that puts people to work. [ applause ] these reforms will help people get jobs that are open today. but to prepare for the jobs of tomorrow, our commitment to skills and education has to start earlier. for less than 1% of what our nation spends on education each year, we've convinced nearly every state in the country to raise their standards for teaching and learning. the first time that's happened in a generation. but challenges remain. and we know how to solve them.
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in a time when other countries are doubling down on education, tight budgets have forced states to lay off thousands of teachers. we know a good teacher can increase the lifetime income of a classroom by over $250,000. a great teacher can offer an escape from poverty, for the child who dreams beyond its circumstance. every person in this chamber can point to a teacher who changed the trajectory of their lives. most teachers work tirelessly, with modest pay. sometimes, digging into their own pocket for school supplies, just to make a difference. teachers matter. so, instead of bashing them, or defending the status quo, let's offer schools a deal. give them the resources to keep good teachers on the job and reward the best ones.
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and in return, grant schools flexibility to teach with creativity and passion. to stop teaching to the test. and to replace teachers who just aren't helping kids learn. that's a bargain worth making. [ cheers and applause ] we also know that when students don't walk away from their education, more of them walk the stage to get their diplomas. when students are not allowed to drop out, they do better. so, tonight, i am proposing that every state, every state, requires that all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn 18. [ applause ]
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when kids do graduate, the most daunting challengege can be the cost ocollege. at a time when americans owe more in tuition than credit card debt, this congress needs to stop the interest rates on student loans from doubling in july. [ applause ] extend the tuition tax credit we started that saves millions of middle-class families thousands of dollars. and give more young people the chance to earn their way through college by doubling the number of work study jobs in the next five years. [ applause ]
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of course, it's not enough for us to increase student aid. we can't just keep subsidizing skyrocketing tuition. we'll run out of money. states also need to do their part by making higher education a higher priority in their budgets. and colleges and universities have to do their part, by working to keep costs down. recently, i spoke with a group of college presidents who have done just that. some schools redesigned courses to help students finish more quickly. some used better technology. the point is, it's possible. so, let me put colleges and universities on notice. if you can't stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down. higher education can't be a luxury. it is an economic imperative that every family in america should be able to afford. let's also remember, that
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hundreds of thousands of talented, hard-working students in this country, face another challenge. the fact that they aren't yet american citizens. many were brought here as small children. are american through and through. yet, they live every day with the threat of deportation. others came more recently, to study business and science and engineering. but as soon as they get their degree, we send them home, to invent new products and get jobs somewhere else. that doesn't make sense. i believe as strongly as ever, we should take on illegal immigration. that's why my administration has put more boots on the border than ever before. that's why there are fewer illegal crossings than when i took office. the opponents of action are out of excuses. we should be working on comprehensive immigration reform
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right now. [ cheers and applause ] but if election year politics keeps congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let's agree to stop expelling responsible young people, who want to staff our lands, start new businesses, defend this country. send me a law that gives them a chance to earn their citizenship. i will sign it right away. [ cheers and applause ] you see, an economy built to last is one where we encourage the talent and ingenuity of every person in this country.
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that means, women should earn equal pay for equal work. [ applause ] it means we should support everyone who is willing to work. and every risk-taker and entrepreneur, who aspires to become the next steve jobs. after all, innovation is what america has always been about. most new jobs are created in start-ups and small businesses. let's pass an agenda that helps them succeed. tear down regulations that prevent aspiring entrepreneurs from getting the financing to grow. expand tax relief to small businesses that are raising wages and creating good jobs. both parties agree on these ideas. so, put them in a bill and get
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it on my desk this year. [ applause ] innovation also demands basic research. today, the discoveries taking place in our federally-financed labs and universities could lead to new treatments that kill cancer cells that leave healthy ones untouched. new lightweight vests for cops and soldiers that can stop any bullet. don't cut these investments in our budget. don't let other countries win the race for the future. support the same kind of research and innovation that led to the computer chip and the internet, to new american jobs and new american industries. and nowhere is the promise of innovation greater than in american-made energy. over the last three years, we've
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opened millions of new acres for oil exploration. and i'm opening up 70% of our offshore oil and gas resources. right now, right now, american oil production is the highest that it's been in eight years. that's right. eight years. not only that, last year, we relied less on foreign oil than in any of the past 16 years. [ applause ] but with only 2% of the world's oil reserves, oil isn't enough. this country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy, that develops every available source of american energy. [ cheers and applause ]
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a strategy that's cleaner, cheaper, and full of new jobs. we have a supply of natural gas that can last america nearly 100 years. [ applause ] and my administration will take every possible action to safely develop this energy. the experts believe this will support more than 600,000 jobs by the end of the decade. and i'm going to require all companies that drill for gas on public lands to disclose the chemicals they reuse. the development of natural gas will create jobs and power trucks and factories that are cleaner and cheaper.
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proving that we don't have to choose between our environment and our economy. and by the way, it was public research dollars over the course of 30 years, that helped develop the technologies to extract all this natural gas. reminding us that government support is critical in helping businesses get new energy ideas off the ground. [ applause ] now, what's true for natural gas is just as true for clean energy. in three years, our partnership with the private sector has already positioned america to be the world's leading manufacturer of high-tech. because of investments, renewable energy use has nearly doubled. and thousands of americans have jobs because of it. when bryan ritterby was laid off from his job making furniture,
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he said he worried that at 55, no one would give him a second chance. but he found work, at a wind turbine inin michigan. before the recession, the factory only made luxury yachts. today, it's hiring workers like bryan, and said i'm proud to be working for the future. our experience with shale gas, our experience with natural gas, shows that the payoffs on some of these investments don't always come right away. some technologies don't pan out. some companies fail. but i will not walk away from the promise of clean energy. i will not walk away from workers like bryan. [ applause ]
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i will not seed, the wind, or solar, or battery energy to china or germany because we refuse to make the commitment here. we subsidized oil companies for a century. that's long enough. it's time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that rarely has been more profitable and double down on a clean air industry that has never been more promising. create these jobs. [ cheers and applause ] we can also spur energy innovation with new incentives. the differences in this chamber may be too deep right now to pass a comprehensive plan to fight climate change. but there's no reason why congress shouldn't at least set a clean energy standard that creates a market for innovation.
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so far, you have an action. well, tonight, i will. i'm directing my administration to allow the development of clean energy on enough public land to power 3 million homes. and i'm proud to announce the department of defense, working with us, the world's largest consumer of energy, will make one of the largest commitments to clean energy in history, with the navy purchasing enough capacity to power 1 million homes a year. [ applause ] of course, the easiest way to save money is to waste less energy. so, here's a proposal. help manufacturers eliminate energy waste in their factories and give businesses incentives
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to upgrade their buildings. their energy bills will be $100 billion over the next decade. and america will have less pollution, more manufacturing, more jobs for construction workers who need it. send me a bill that creates these jobs. [ applause ] building this new energy future should be just one part of a broader agenda to repair america's infrastructure. so much of america needs to be rebuilt. we have crumbling roads and bridges. a power grid that wastes too much energy. an incomplete high-speed broadband network. that prevents a business owner in rural america from selling her products all over the world. during the great depression, america built the hoover dam and
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the golden gate bridge. after world war ii, we connected our states with a system of highways. democratic and republican administrations invested in great projects that benefited everybody, from the workers who built them, to the businesses that still use them today. in the next few weeks, i will sign an executive order, clearing away the red tape that slows down too many construction projects. but you need to fund these projects. take the money we're no longer spending at war, use half of it to pay down our debt. and use the rest to do some nation-building right here at home. [ cheers and applause ] there's never been a better time to build. especially since the construction industry was one of
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the hardest hit when the housing bubble burst. of course, construction workers weren't the only ones who were hurt. so were millions of innocent americans, who have seen their home values decline. and while government can't fix the problem on its own, responsible homeowners shouldn't have to sit and wait for the housing market to hit bottom to get some relief. and that's why i'm sending this congress a plan that gives every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgage by refinancing at historically low rates. no more red tape. no more runaround from the banks. a small fee on the largest financial institutions will ensure it won't add to the deficit. and we'll give those banks that were rescued by taxpayers a chance to repay a deficit of trust. [ cheers and applause ]
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let's never forget, millions of americans who work hard and play by the rules every day deserve a government and a financial system that do the same. it's time to apply the same rules, from top to bottom. no bailouts, no handouts, and no cop outs. an america built to last insists on responsibility from everybody. we all paid the price to lenders who sold mortgages to people who couldn't afford them. and buyers who knew they couldn't afford them. that's why we need smart regulations to prevent irresponsible behavior. [ applause ] rules to prevent financial fraud or toxic dumping, or faulty
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medical devices. these don't destroy the free market. they make the free market work better. there's no question that some regulations are outdated, unnecessary, or too costly. in fact, i've approved fewer regulations in the first three years of my presidency than my republican predecessor did in his. [ applause ] i've ordered every federal agency to eliminate rules that don't make sense. we've already announced over 500 reforms and just a fraction of them will save business and citizens $10 million over the next five years. we got rid of one rule from 40 years ago, that could have forced some dairy farmers to spend $10,000 a year proving they could contain a spill because milk was somehow classified as an oil. with a rule like that, i guess it was crying over spilt milk.
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[ laughter and applause ] now, i'm confident a farmer can contain a milk spill without a federal agency looking over his shoulder. [ applause ] but i will not back down from making sure an oil company can contain the kind of oil spill we saw in the gulf two years ago. [ applause ] i will not back down from protecting our kids from mercury poisoning. or making sure that our food is safe and our water is clean.
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i will not go back to the days when health insurance companies had unchecked power to cancel your policy, deny your coverage, our charge women differently than men. [ applause ] and i will not go back to the days when wall street was allowed to play by its own set of rules. the new rules we passed restore what should be any financial system's core worries. getting funding to entrepreneurs with the best ideas. and getting loans to responsible families who want to buy a home or start a business or send their kids to college. so, if you are a big bank or financial institution, you're no longer allowed to make risky bets with your customers' deposits. you're required to write out a
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living will that details how you will pay the bills if you fail because the rest of us are not bailing you out ever again. [ applause ] and if you're a mortgage lender or a payday lender or a credit card company, the days of signing people up for products they can't afford with confusing forms and deceptive practices, those days are over. today, american consumers finally have a watchdog in richard cordray, with one job, to look out for them. [ applause ] we'll also establish a financial crimes unit, of highly trained investigators to crack down on large-scale fraud and protect people's investments. some financial firms violate
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major anti-fraud laws because there's no real penalty for being a repeat offender. that's bad for consumers. and it's bad for the vast majority of bankers and financial service professionals who do the right thing. so, pass legislation that makes the penalties for fraud count. and tonight, i'm asking my attorney general to create a special unit of federal prosecutors and leading state attorneys general, to expand our investigations into the abusive lending and packaging of risky mortgages that led to the housing crisis. this unit will held accountable those who broke the law, speed assistance to homeowners and help turn the page on an era of recklessness that hurt so many americans. now, a return to the american values of fair play and shared responsibility, will help protect our people and our economy. but it should also guide us as we look to pay down our debt and
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invest in our future. right now, our most immediate priority is stopping a tax hike on 160 million working americans while the recovery is still fragile. [ applause ] people cannot afford losing $40 out of each paycheck this year. there are plenty of ways to get this done. so, let's agree right here, right now. no side issues, no drama. pass the payroll tax cut without delay. let's get it done. [ cheers and applause ] when it comes to the deficit, we've already agreed to more
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than $2 trillion in cuts and savings. but we need to do more. and that means, making choices. right now, we're poised to spend nearly $1 trillion more on what was supposed to be a temporary tax break for the wealthiest 2% of americans. right now, because of loopholes and shelters in the tax code, a quarter of all millionaires pay lower tax rates than millions of middle-class households. right now, warren buffett pays a lower tax rate than his secretary. do we want to keep these tax cuts for the wealthiest americans? or do we want to keep our investments in everything else? like education and medical research, a strong military and care for our veterans. because if we're serious about paying down our debt, we can't
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do both. the american people know what the right choice is. so do i. as i told the speaker this summer, i'm prepared to make more reforms that rein in the long-term costs of medicare and medicaid, and strengthen social security, so long as those programs remain a guarantee of security for seniors. but in return, we need to change our tax code so people like me and an awful lot of members of congress, pay our fair share of taxes. [ applause ] tax reform should follow the
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buff buffett rule. my republican friend, tom coburn is right. washington should stop subsidizing millionaires. if you earn a million dollar a year, you shouldn't get special subsidies or deductions. on the other hand, if you make under $250,000 a year, like 98% of american families, your taxes shouldn't go up. you're the ones struggling, with rising costs and sagging wages. you're the ones who need relief. now, you can call this class warfare all you want. but asking a billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary in taxes? most americans would call that common sense. we don't begrudge financial success in this country. we admire it. when americans talk about folks like me paying my fair share of
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taxes, it's not because they envy the rich. it's because they understand that when i get a tax break, i don't need, and the country can't afford, it either adds to the deficit or somebody else has to make up the difference. like a senior on a fixed income. or a student trying to get through school. or a family trying to make ends meet. that's not right. americans know that's not right. they know that this generation's success is only possible because past generations felt a responsibility to each other and to the future of their country. and they know our way of life will only endure if we feel that same sense of shared responsibility. that's how we'll reduce our deficit. that's an america built to last. [ applause ]
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now, i recognize that people watching tonight have differing views about taxes, debt, energy and health care. but no matter what party they belong to, i'll bet most americans are thinking the same thing right about now. nothing will get done in washington this year. or next year. or maybe even the year after that. because washington is broken. can you blame them for feeling a little cynical? the greatest blow to our confidence in our economy last year didn't come from events beyond our control. it came from a debate in washington over whether the united states would pay its bills or not. who benefited from that fico?
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i talked, tonight, about the deficit of trust between main street and wall street. but the divide between this city and the rest of the country is at least as bad. and it seems to get worse every year. and some of this has to do with the corrosive influence of money in politics. so, together, let's take some steps to fix that. send me a bill that bans insider trading by members of congress. i will sign it tomorrow. [ cheers and applause ] let's limit any elected official from owning stock in industries they impact. let's make sure people who bundle campaign contributions for congress can't lobby congress. and vice versa. an idea that has bipartisan
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support, at least outside of washington. some of what's broken has to do with the way congress does its business these days. a simple majority is no longer enough to get anything, even routine business, passed through the senate. [ applause ] neither party has been blameless in these tactics. now, both parties should put an end to it. [ applause ] for starters, i asked the fed to pass a simple rule, that all judicial and nominations receive a simple up-or-down vote within 90 days. [ applause ]
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the executive branch also needs to change. too often, it's inefficient, outdated and remote. [ applause ] that's why i've asked this congress to grant me the thought to consolidate the federal bureaucracy, so our government is leaner, quicker and more responsive to the needs of the american people. [ applause ] finally, none of this can happen unless we also lower the temperature in this town. we need to end the notion that the two parties must be locked in a perpetual campaign of mutual destruction. that politics is about clinging to rigid ideologies instead of building consensus around common sense ideas. i'm a democrat. but i believe what republican abraham lincoln believed. the government should do for
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people only what they cannot do better by themselves and no more. [ applause ] that's why my education reform offers more competition and more control for schools and states. that's why we're getting rid of regulations that don't work. that's why our health care law relies on a reformed private market, not a government program. on the other hand, even my republican friends who complain the most about government spending has supported federally-financed roads and clean energy projects and federal offices for the folks back home. the point is, we should all want a smarter, more effective
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government. and while we may not be able to bridge our biggest philosophical differences this year, we can make real progress. with or without this congress, i will keep taking actions that help the economy grow. but i can do a whole lot more with your help because when we act together, there's nothing the united states of america can't achieve. [ applause ] that's the lesson we've learned from our actions abroad over the last few years. ending the iraq war has allowed us to strike decisive blows against our enemies. from pakistan to yemen, the al qaeda operatives who remain
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are scrambling, knowing they can't escape the reach of the united states of america. [ applause ] from this position of strength, we've begun to wind down the war in afghanistan. 10,000 of our troops have come home. 23,000 more will leave by the end of this summer. this transition to afghan lead will continue. and we will build an enduring partnership with afghanistan, so that it is never again a source of attacks against america. [ applause ] as the tide of war recedes, the wave of change has washed across the middle east and north africa. from tunis to cairo, from sanaa to tripoli. a year ago, gadhafi was one of
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the world's longest-serving dictat dictators. a murderer with american blood on his hands. today, he is gone. and in syria, i have no doubt that the assad regime will soon discover that the forces of change cannot be reversed. and human dignity cannot be denied. [ applause ] how this incredible transformation will end remains uncertain. but we have a huge stake in the outcome. and while it's ultimately up to the people of the region to decide their fate, we will advocate for those values that have served our own country so well. we will stand against violence and intimidation. we will stand for the rights and dignity of all human beings, men and women, christians, muslims,
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and jews. we will support policies that lead to strong and stable democracies and open markets because tyranny is no match for liberty. and we will safeguard america's own security against those who threaten our citizens, our friends and our interests. look at iran. through the power of our diplomacy, a world that was once divided about how to deal with iran's nuclear program now stands as one. the regime is more isolated than ever before. its leaders are faced with crippling sanctions. and as long as they shirk their responsibilities, this pressure will not relent. let there be no doubt, america is determined to prevent iran from getting a nuclear weapon. and i will take no options off the table to achieve that goal. [ cheers and applause ]
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but a peaceful resolution of this issue is still possible and far better. and if iran changes course and meets its obligations, it can rejoin the community of nations. the renewal of american leadership can be felt across the globe. our oldest alliances in europe and asia are stronger than ever. our ties to the americas are deeper. our iron-clad commitment and i mean iron-clad, to israel's security, has meant the closest cooperation between our two countries in history. [ applause ] we've made it clear that america
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is a specific power. and a new beginning in burma has led to new hope. from the coalitions we've built to secure nuclear materials, to the missions we've led against hunger and disease, and blows we've dealt our enemies, to the enduring example of our power, america is back. anyone who tells you otherwise, anyone who tells you america is in decline or that our influence has waned, doesn't know what they're talking about. [ applause ] that's not the message we get from leaders around the world, who are eager to work with us. that's not how people feel from tokyo to berlin, from cape town to rio, where opinions of america are higher than they've been in years.
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yes, the world is changing. no, we can't control every event. but america remains the one indispensable nation in world affairs. and as long as i'm president, i intend to keep it that way. [ cheers and applause ] that's why working with our military leaders, i proposed a new defense strategy that ensures we maintain the finest military in the world, while saving nearly $500 million in our budget. to stay one step ahead of our adversaries. i already sent this congress legislation that will secure our country from the growing dangers of cyber threats. [ applause ] above all, our freedom endures because of the men and women in uniform who defend it.
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[ applause ] [ applause ] as they come home, we must serve them as well as they've served us. that includes giving them the care and the benefits they have earned, which is why we've increased annual v.a. spending every year i've been president. [ applause ] and it means enlisting our
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veterans in the work of rebuilding our nation. with the bipartisan support of this congress, we're providing new tax credits to companies that hire vets. michelle and jill biden have worked with american businesses to secure a pledge of 135,000 jobs for american veterans and their families. and tonight, i'm proposing a veterans jobs corps, that will help our communities hire veterans as cops and firefighters, so america is as strong as those who defend her. [ applause ] which brings me back to where i began. those of us who have been sent here to serve can learn a thing or two from the service of our troops.
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when you put on that uniform, it doesn't matter if you're black or white, asian, latino, native american, conservative, liberal, rich, poor, gay, straight. when you're marching into battle, you look out for the person next to you, or the mission fails. when you're in the thick of the fight, you raise or fall as one unit, serving one nation, leaving no one behind. one of my proudest possessions is the flag that the s.e.a.l. team took with them on the mission to get bin laden. on it are each of their names. some may be democrats. some may be republicans. but that doesn't matter.
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just like it didn't matter that day in the situation room, when i sat next to bob gates, a man who was george bush's defense secretary, and hillary clinton, a woman who ran against me for president. all that mattered that day was the mission. no one thought about politics. no one thought about themselves. one of the young men involved in the raid later told me that he didn't deserve credit for the mission. it only succeeded, he said, because every, single member of that unit did their job. the pilot who landed the helicopter, that spun out of control, the translator who kept others from entering the compound. the troops who separated the women and children from the fight. the s.e.a.l.s who charged up the
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stairs. more than that, the mission only succeeded because every member of that unit trusted each other because you can't charge up those stairs into darkness and danger, unless you know that there's somebody behind you, watching your back. so it is with america. each time i look at that flag, i'm reminded that our destiny is stitched together like those 50 stars and those 13 stripes. no one built this country on their own. this nation is great because we built it together. this nation is great because we worked as a team. this nation is great because we get each other's backs. and if we hold fast to that truth, in this moment of trial, there is no challenge too great, no mission too hard.
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as long as we are joined in common purpose, as long as we maintain our common resolve, our journey moves forward. and our future is hopeful. and the state of our union will always be strong. thank you. go god bless you. and god bless the united states of america. [ cheers and applause ] >> and there it is. for 1:05, the president giving his state of the union speech. we don't have a count log of applause. but we're working on it right now. and to me, george, when we sent it out, when everyone gets a fair shot, everyone gets a fair share, when everyone plays by the same set of rules in america, that's when america is great. and that, to me, the line he was taking out at the very beginning. >> no question. the popular theme, it's very hard, especially at the end of the speech, when he talked about. emphasized again and again, that we're on the right course and we
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can't go back. i will not back down. i will not go back. the words you heard from the president several times tonight. >> will not go back to the same policies that brought this economic crisis on in the first place. let's go to jake tapper, white house correspondent. ja jake, what was the headline for you? >> it was a very political state of the union speech tonight. this president wants this to be a choice between his vision and the other visions. you heard the choice as he sees it. you heard him changing taxes. changing taxes for wealthier people more. spending on green jobs. defending the auto bailout. saying, as you pointed out, he would not let us return, the nation return, to the policies that got us in the financial crisis. and saying anyone who tells you that america is in decline
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almost doesn't know what they were talking about. this was almost a rebuttal to the republican candidates campaigning and attacking his presidency. what he wants this year to be about, george, and diane. >> this is his chance. i want to go to matthew dowd, our political analyst. and vice president biden gave a speech to democrats. and he sent us a speech with this phrase, bin laden is dead, general motors is alive. >> you can't look at the speeches without the context we are in. this was the start of the general election campaign. normally, when you look at the speeches, you look at the words you use and begin to frame what he's going to frame this election about. he used fair shot, fair share, same set of rules, fair play. not fair. all kinds of fair things. i think that he's projecting what this race is going to be about. 2012, we use strength, resolve, strength, resolve. president bush did. he wants to make this race about -- he's on behalf of
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fairness, the republicans aren't. >> let's remember, all of the republican debates. and he's been waiting for this moment. 42 million people are watching the state of the union last year. it could be big again. peggy noonan, former reagan speech writer and analyst, as well. what did you hear? >> i think it felt a little long. i think that was a subdued room. you know, i don't think it was long because of it was so interrupted greatly by applause. there were a few problems with it. let me say briefly, all of these speeches, the state of the union, it's hard to avoid the laundry list aspect. but here's the problem. a speech about everything is a speech about nothing. people lose the meaning of it along the way. so, i think that was probably a bit of a problem. on some issues, i thought, on energy and immigration, there was a sense, to me, of -- he's announcing things three years into this, into his presidency,
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that i think could have been in play in the past three years. but it's as if he discovered them and he's picking them up and putting them forward. i'm not sure that's going to play real well with the audience. so, we'll see. >> i'll bet you a lot of democrats listening wondered where has this guy been? they saw some of the fight they wanted and expected in the campaign. but have not seen in the last year or so. >> i think many democrats will look at this speech and say, it was a solid speech. the president, tonight, did talk about the problems he inherited. he talked about the course. the course that will take us forward. the programs, the policies, the goals that he will set in motion, with or without congress. i think many democrats will come away with this, as well as many americans, with a president who is optimistic about the future, without cheerleading a recovery that many people feel is not there. >> let's go to the director of the national journal. i want to put out, online,
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twitter, most of the comments about gabby giffords in the room. and the valor and idealism that she represents, which is american idealism. there's a lot of comments about secretary of state hillary clinton and the first lady, as well. so, it's kind of a woman's night out there on twitter. but, ron, tell us what you saw. >> i think that, as math you said, the white house realizes, apart from the accept stance, this is the best chance to frame the 2012 dialogue. and you saw him drawing a line in the sand. on economic fairness and responsibility. but also, a very vigorous defense on a variety of fronts on activist governments. on class warfare. and the argument that retrenching government is the key to revival. this was a dialogue with the debate that's begun against him among the republican field. >> in our latest abc news poll, he had a 20% advantage of what
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people see is the biggest problem, unfairness, or overregulation, big government. >> he came in this speech with a little bit of a breeze at his back. was his approval rating is up, and the unfavorable ratings of republicans angling against him, has been raising, as well. >> i think it's interesting that you now have a president that's going to run an economic populist campaign. and you have a candidate, in the republican party, newt gingrich, who is running a cultural populist campaign. >> you've seen in the last week. >> and, peggy, where is everybody in the middle going to play? >> i guess, they'll be watching kind of closely. can i mention something stylistic? math you mentioned the reputation of the word fair a million times. i noticed the reputation of phrases like, i'm confident, i will not back down from protecting, i will not walk away, i will not go back to the days, i, i, i.
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>> and also the optimism, anyone who tells you otherwise, anyone who tells you that america's in decline, that our influence wanes, does not know what they're talking about. and that did get a response from his side of the aisle in the room. >> as the president leaves the chamber, we're going to pause for a moment. when we come back, the republican response, from mitch daniels, a man many republicans hoped would run for president. and final thoughts from our political team.
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in three days. (woman) we're united. (woman) a family. (woman) a coming together of thousands. so that one has to suffer the agony of a loss. the e ony of my loss. we're going to erase breast cancer once and for all. (woman) walking 60 miles. (woman) in three days. join us. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime. we're back, now, with the state of the union. and jonathan karl, our congressional correspondent, is in the room. he has more of the human reaction that you couldn't always see on television. jon? >> i'll tell you, diane. the first thing i can tl you, as soon as the speech was over, the republican side of this chamber emptied immediately. they heard one of the most confrontational state of the unions i've heard, with lines
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like, get it to my desk, you haven't acted, so, i will. at one point, the president saying, you need to fund these projects. members of congress don't like to be lectured to. and you see how uncomfortable they were sitting, especially on the republican side. one moment of bipartisanship that broke through very touchingly. i noticed that gabby giffords, every time she wanted to stand up for an ovation, he helped her up and stood with her, even though i guarantee you that republican jeff blake would not have been standing for those ovations, if it were not for helping gabby at that moment. >> we are trying to figure out what the president was teasing the speaker about. when he said that the speaker thought obama was from another planet. >> that's what i was wondering. he said the two of them are from different planets. he said it definitively. i asked. we couldn't figure out. speculation from the white house, he could have been joking
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about their golf game. i'm sure we'll find out soon enough. >> again, the republican response is going to be delivered by indiana governor, mitch daniels. he's going to be on the auditorium stage of the indiana war museum building. he does not have an audience. he will be speaking directly to camera. now, we go to the republican response, and indiana governor, mitch daniels. >> greetings from the home of super bowl xlvi. the status of loyal opposition imposes on those out of power some serious responsibility. to show respect for the presidency and its occupants. to express agreement where it exists. republicans, tonight, salute our president, for instance, for his aggressive pursuit for the murderers of 9/11. and for bravely backing long overdue changes in public education. i personally would aid to that list, admiration for the strong family commitment that he and the first lady have displayed to
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a nation sorely needing such examples. on these evenings, presidents naturally seek to find the sunny side of our national condition. but when president obama claims that the state of our union is anything but grave, he must know in his heart that this is not true. the president did not cause the economic and fiscal crises that continue in america tonight. but he was elected on a promise to fix them. and he cannot claim that the last three years have made things anything but worse. the percentage of americans with a job is at the lowest in decades. one in five men of prime working age and nearly half of all persons under 30 did not go to work today. in three, short years, an unprecedented of explosion of spending with borrowed money has added trillions to an already unaffordable national debt. and yet, the president has put us on a course to make it radically worse in the years ahead. the federal government now

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